Vijay Shekhar SharmaWhen Vijay Shekhar Sharma received an honorary doctorate degree recently, it was also a fanboy moment for the Paytm CEO. Receiving a degree alongside Sharma was Sunil Mittal.

Sharma has long been a fan of Mittal. "When I graduated from college in 1998, he was one of those first generation entrepreneurs who built a legendary company," he said in his speech to the graduates.

So, what was Mittal's reaction? Sharma tells ETPanache, "In his speech, he mentioned Paytm and what he liked about it. Later he told me, 'Bhashan achcha de dete ho.' I replied, 'I have learnt it from you.'"

Long before his success, Sharma met Mittal in an elevator in Kolkata. "He was entering the lift and I followed him in. I then brought out my business card and said, 'Sir, can I have your autograph?' He won't remember that. In 14 years, the world has changed quite a lot," Sharma says.